Julius Baker facts for kids

Julius Baker (born September 23, 1915 – died August 6, 2003) was a very famous American flute player. He played the flute in many top orchestras in America for over 50 years. Some of these included the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Early Life and Musical Training

Julius Baker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He started learning to play the flute when he was nine years old. His first teacher was his father, who was an immigrant from Russia.

Later, he studied with other teachers like August Caputo and Robert Morris. He went to two well-known music schools: the Eastman School of Music and the Curtis Institute. At these schools, he learned from famous flute teachers like Leonardo De Lorenzo and William Kincaid.

After finishing school in 1937, Baker joined the Cleveland Orchestra. He played the second flute there. This was the start of his amazing career playing in orchestras.

A Career in Music

Playing in Famous Orchestras

Juilliard School - Alice Tully Hall, where Julius Baker taught.

Julius Baker became a principal flutist, which means he was the main flute player, in several major orchestras. From 1941 to 1943, he played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He also played for the CBS Symphony Orchestra in New York City.

Later, he was the principal flutist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1951 to 1953. Then, he joined the New York Philharmonic in 1965 and stayed there for 18 years. He played under legendary conductors like Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta.

Teaching and Inspiring Others

Besides playing, Julius Baker was also a very respected teacher. He taught at some of the best music schools in the United States. He was a teacher at the Juilliard School starting in 1954. He also taught at the Curtis Institute of Music and Carnegie Mellon University.

Many of his students went on to become successful musicians themselves. He helped shape the careers of many young flutists.

Music for Movies and TV

Julius Baker didn't just play in orchestras. He also played the flute for several famous movies! You can hear his flute playing in Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. He also played for the movie Lovesick.

He appeared on TV shows too, like The Dick Cavett Show and the Public Broadcasting Service series Great Performances. He even filmed a performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 with famous pianist Glenn Gould for TV.

Orchestra Hall at the Symphony Center in Chicago, where Baker performed.

Recording His Music

Julius Baker made many recordings throughout his career. He recorded with famous conductors like Bruno Walter and Leonard Bernstein. He also loved playing chamber music, which is music for a small group of instruments. He was one of the people who started the Bach Aria Group.

He even had his own record company called The Oxford Recording Company. He used his interest in electronics to record his own music. This company released five of his flute recordings between 1946 and 1951.

In 1983, Julius Baker retired from the New York Philharmonic. This allowed him to travel and perform solo concerts and concertos in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He also served as a judge for the International Flute Competition "Leonardo De Lorenzo" in Italy.

Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall) in New York City, a venue where Baker performed.

Notable Students

Many of Julius Baker's students became very successful flute players themselves. Here are some of them:

• Paula Robison: A well-known soloist and chamber musician.
• Jeffrey Khaner: The main flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
• Mimi Stillman: A soloist and chamber musician.
• Gary Schocker: A flute soloist and composer.
• Jeanne Baxtresser: She took over Julius Baker's spot as the main flutist of the New York Philharmonic.
• Jasmine Choi: A former main flutist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.
• Hubert Laws: A talented jazz and classical flutist.
• Demarre McGill: The main flutist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
• Viviana Guzman: An international soloist and professor.

Death

Julius Baker passed away in 2003 at the age of 87. He left behind a huge legacy as a performer and teacher.

Discography

Here are some of the albums Julius Baker recorded:

• Serenade In D Major, Op. 25 and Trio In C Minor Op. 9, No. 3 (1953)
• Poem For Flute And Orchestra and A Night Piece For Flute And String Quartet (1952)
• Eighteenth Century Flute Duets with Jean-Pierre Rampal (1959)
• The Virtuoso Flute with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (1967)
• The Art of Julius Baker (1977)
• Julius Baker in Recital (1993)
• The Virtuoso Flute Vol. 2 (1996)

With Coleman Hawkins

• The Hawk in Hi Fi (1956)

Archive

The Julius Baker Collection is kept at the Juilliard School of Music. It includes many of Baker's music scores and handwritten notes.